On November 16, eleven Teams of two people, each with a pre-existing relationship, will set out on THE AMAZING RACE around the world to compete for one million dollars. They'll never know where they're going next or what they'll have to do once there. Each pair's relationship will be forever changed by their experience in this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Once again, our website will track the Teams' progress across the globe, chronicling dramatic conflicts and deepening friendships that develop between and within the Teams throughout the grueling competition. Here's your chance to meet each Team and find out what their relationship is like at the starting line of THE AMAZING RACE.

Avi & Joe were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. They met 17 years ago in a high school Spanish class. Joe moved to Los Angeles six years ago to expand his advertising business, while Avi is still in Brooklyn, living with his girlfriend and five-year-old daughter and teaching at the same high school where they met.

They are both proud of their similar Jewish upbringings. Joe describes himself as the stereotypical "New York Jew." Their similar characteristics are their knowledge and appreciation of the same Yiddish expressions and their love of the Mets.

Joe describes himself as Jerry Seinfeld meets Yoda (with Donald Trump's business flair) and says Avi is George Costanza meets Napoleon. However, Avi sees himself more as Woody Allen and sees Joe as Shaggy from "Scooby-Doo."

They both agree that one of their most memorable times together was meeting Avi's childhood idol, Tom Wopat, after a Broadway play. Although the distance between New York and Los Angeles prevents their weekly kibbitz sessions at the local kosher deli, they make up for it by spending many hours talking on the phone.

Don & Mary Jean have been married for 20 years and live in Portola Valley, California. Between them they have six children and 16 grandchildren, all from previous marriages. They met almost 27 years ago through mutual friends while they were both married to other people. Donald is a physician, and Mary Jean is an interior designer.

Donald & Mary Jean live for adventure and travel. They have already traveled to six continents and believe that their combined travel experience will make them successful contenders in the Race. They are looking forward to all of the challenges that the Race may bring their way, especially the extreme tasks.

They have been through a lot together, including a near-death experience when their boat of eight people capsized in the South Pacific, throwing Donald onto a coral reef and Mary Jean into the water. The locals later told them that they held a memorial service for them, thinking that there was no way they could survive the treacherous water. The couple survived this horrific experience and emerged with a greater zest for life.

Before being selected for the Race, Mary Jean's most recent accomplishment is losing 23 pounds on Dr. Phil's diet, and Donald's is being an award-winning winemaker.

Although they are the oldest couple on this Race, Donald, 69, and Mary Jean, 65, believe that their life experience and appetite for adventure will be a key asset in winning THE AMAZING RACE.

Freddy & Kendra are an engaged couple from Miami, Florida. They met over two years ago when they were booked together on a modeling job. At the time, Kendra lived in New York City, but six weeks later, she moved back to Miami, and they've been together ever since.

They say they share a deep mutual love and respect for one another, even though Kendra describes herself as organized and prepared and describes Freddy as someone who "wings it" with brute force. Both of them have lived in several parts of the world, including Paris, Milan, Barcelona and New York City.

Their primary motivation for doing THE AMAZING RACE is for the money, but also to have the chance to be involved in crazy adventures and travels that they would never be able to arrange or afford on their own.

Gus & Hera are a father and daughter from and Gaithersburg, Maryland and Los Angeles, California, respectively. Gus is a former CIA agent, covert operative and the first person to fly an open-cockpit plane to the North Pole. Hera is a special education teacher and holds a Masters degree in special education with a cross-cultural emphasis.

Gus & Hera describe themselves as intelligent and resourceful, but also as aggressive and headstrong, and they often butt heads. Gus says Hera can be extremely stubborn, but he sees that as an extension of his own personality.

While Hera says the money is her prime motivation for doing THE AMAZING RACE, Gus says that having this experience with his child will help him relate to her as an adult and see how he did as a parent

Hayden & Aaron live together in Los Angeles, California. About eight months ago, they saw each other for the first time at a Mexican restaurant. They describe this encounter as fate and love at first sight. Aaron chased Hayden down in the parking lot in hopes of not leaving without asking for a date. Their first date was the next day, and they have been inseparable ever since.

Although they have known each other for only a few months, they feel like they are soulmates and share a lot in common, such as competitiveness, athleticism, sensitivity and, most importantly, closeness with their respective families. However, their personalities differ, as Hayden is more direct and loud while Aaron is more laid back.

They both come from athletic backgrounds. Hayden received a track scholarship to the University of New Mexico, and Aaron was All-American for volleyball at Michigan State University. Their natural ambition and competitiveness is not only their primary reason for going on the Race, it is one of the reasons they think that they are going to win.

Hayden & Aaron are both models and are trying to pursue acting careers in Los Angeles. They feel that THE AMAZING RACE will bring them closer together as a

Jonathan & Victoria were set up on a blind date seven years ago, and have been married for three years. They reside in Los Angeles, where Jonathan is an entrepreneur who owns a spa as well as other business ventures, and Victoria is a model/ pop artist painter. They decided to go on the Race in hopes of getting their relationship back on track after many grueling discussions about starting a family that have taken a toll on their marriage.

Jonathan describes himself as having a "type A" personality, while Victoria says she is resourceful. They hope this combination will help them be victorious on the Race. One of the challenges for them on the Race is going to be trusting each other's instincts and putting their bickering aside.

Victoria recalls that one of the worst moments in their relationship was when they had a fight on a trip to Miami and their entire argument was recorded after her cell phone accidentally dialed her mother's answering machine.

Their primary reason for doing THE AMAZING RACE is to win. The $1 million prize comes in a close second. Although both agree that their biggest fear is not being able to speak the languages, they look forward to experiencing new cultures and people.

Kris and Jon are dating long-distance between Long Beach, California and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectively. They met in Scottsdale on Kris' 30th birthday, when Jon was tending bar at the club where she was celebrating. They've been passionately in love ever since, but his career (he is part owner of the club) and her responsibilities at school have kept them in a long-distance relationship.

Kris once worked as a go-go dancer in a nightclub, but now she is a cocktail waitress and studying geography in her senior year at UCLA. She describes herself as "animated and spontaneous." Her hobbies are snowboarding, beach volleyball and golf.

Jon is a "working partner" in a nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona. He believes he is a "passionate and determined" person, and his favorite hobbies are snowboarding, surfing and water polo. He's a member of the Arizona Masters Water Polo team.

Kris & Jon are hoping that doing the Race together will show them if their relationship can work on a 24/7 basis, and if they should put an end to the long-distance part of their relationship.

Lena & Kristy are sisters who grew up in Utah. In the Fall, Kristy will be starting her last year of college at University of Utah. She is the single mother of an eight-year-old daughter, Madison. She recently took a few months off from school to move to Denmark with her daughter.

Lena is a student and former striptease aerobics instructor. She also put college on hold so she could travel abroad, but is planning to return to school after the Race. She describes herself as outgoing, happy and competitive.

Most of the time the sisters get along very well; however, they agree that getting into a fist fight a few years back was a low point in their relationship. One of the most special times they had as sisters was living together in Las Vegas.

Being a young single mother, Kristy's motivation for being on THE AMAZING RACE is to enjoy this experience to the fullest and do all the things she has never been able to do, while Lena wants to win the $1 million.

Lori & Bolo reside in the small country town of Molino, Florida and have been together for eight years. Bolo is a professional wrestler and Lori is a barrel horse racer.

Throughout the years, Lori spent time watching Bolo train for wrestling and decided that she could also do it and jumped in the ring. Although she has worked as a professional wrestler, she is now concentrating on horse racing and hopes to compete in professional rodeos in the near future. Bolo describes his wife as a mix between Jennifer Aniston and professional wrestler Chyna.

Bolo's military service and wrestling career has allowed him to travel abroad, but Lori has never been out of the United States and looks forward leaving her small community and seeing the world. When asked what three adjectives best describe themselves, both Bolo and Lori said the same thing: hard working, honest and great personality.

Although they don't have any children, they consider their eight dogs their kids. They love animals and have rescued many stray dogs. Their primary motivation for going on THE AMAZING RACE is to leave their small town to experience different people and cultures around the world.

Meredith & Maria are friends and roommates from Queens, New York. They met on the last day of classes freshman year at Boston University, when Meredith found Maria's ID on the floor of a bar. At first, Maria gave Meredith attitude about having her ID, but the two of them ended up living next door to each other the following year and became great friends.

They say they are both laid back, outgoing, smart and the two funniest girls on earth. However, Meredith says she can be extremely competitive, sensitive and passionate, while Maria can be very passive and non-emotional. Both enjoy hanging out with their friends and share great stories about their escapades around New York.

Their main motivation for doing THE AMAZING RACE is the money, but they say doing the show and traveling with each other will make the experience priceless.

Adam & Rebecca are an ex-couple that met at a spinning class. Rebecca's first impression of Adam was that he was gay, but after he pursued her for months, he proved otherwise. Both of them are spinning teachers/personal trainers.

Both say that they share similar sensibilities, are very competitive and are both interested in fitness, but are different in every other way. She is social, he isn't. She's outgoing, he's not. He is practical and prefers routine, while she is spontaneous.

Rebecca says she's doing the Race because she could use the cash, but Adam says his main motivation for doing THE AMAZING RACE is that after years of sitting on his couch watching the Race and saying, "I can do that," he wants to prove that he really can.

Thanks for posting Puddin. Looks like another good race is about to begin. I look forward to watching those wrestlers - Lori and Bolo, Avi and Joe and the grandparents. Which city does the race start this time? Do you know Puddin??